EAST ST. LOUIS – State Senator Christopher Belt is highlighting the announced $24 million in funding to expand Manufacturing Training Academies at community colleges and strengthen workforce training opportunities for high-demand manufacturing careers.

“Giving young people access to skills that translate directly into a job is exactly what we need to be focusing on in 2026,” said Belt (D-Swansea). “Southwestern Illinois College is already proving how community colleges can connect students to good-paying manufacturing careers, and this expansion will help more students gain the skills employers need right here at home.”

The funding will support the creation and expansion of advanced manufacturing training facilities across downstate Illinois, helping students gain hands-on experience in fields such as advanced manufacturing, automation and clean energy production. In Belt’s district, Southwestern Illinois College has already demonstrated the impact of these investments by expanding its manufacturing education programs and partnering with local employers to prepare students for good-paying jobs.

“SWIC is proud to be part of the state’s continued investment in advanced manufacturing and workforce training,” said Robert Tebbe, Chief Enrollment Development and Institutional Planning Officer at Southwestern Illinois College. “Working in partnership with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Senator Belt’s office, we are expanding access to hands-on training at our Belleville, Granite City, and Red Bud campuses, along with the Wyvetter Younge Higher Education Campus in East St. Louis, creating clear pathways into high-demand manufacturing careers across the region.”

More information about the grant opportunity can be found here.